


As The World Caves In

by flcker



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Battle of Hogwarts, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Death Eaters, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Rivalry, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Original Character(s), Quidditch, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Slytherin, Soulmates, The Golden Trio, The Golden Trio Era (Harry Potter), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28826379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flcker/pseuds/flcker
Summary: Seraphina Lefevre is the daughter of one of the most powerful Death Eaters in Lord Voldemort's ranks.George Weasley is a boy from Gryffindor that would do anything for the people he loves most.Their worlds collide and nothing will ever be the same.
Relationships: George Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. The Gift

Seraphina Evanthe Lefevre.

Moris and Adonia Lefevre believed that a name was the most important thing you could give a child. To them, a name represented their destined path in life. It represented who they were meant to be. 

Seraphina meant 'fiery'. She was given the gift of headstrong stubbornness. She was to speak her mind truthfully and proudly. Most importantly, she protected the ones she cared about with a passion that was rarely seen. 

Evanthe was name the of her grandmother. The passing down of the name signified a tie to the family, honoring her father's mother. It was also meant as a gift of beauty as the definition of the name was 'fair flower'. 

Last came her surname, Lefevre. It didn't have any important literal definitions or meanings but it did signify something deeper, something darker. 

Her father, Moris Lefevre was one of Lord Voldemort's highest ranking Death Eaters. It wasn't publicly known that her family bore such malevolent status, which made it easier for Seraphina to live a somewhat normal life, but their reputation wasn't without flaw. 

The family associated with the Malfoy's, which could spare an idea of their character and morals to outsiders. Both families valued their pureblood identities. They believed it to be some advantage in life. They thought of muggles and muggle-born wizards and witches as less than, just like most other prominent pureblood families. They also believed it was of the utmost importance to uphold. 

Seraphina's parents had been a part of the Dark Lord's plan since she was a mere infant. The girl was raised around darkness and destruction, some much so that it became normal for her to withstand. As the years went on, Moris and Adonia planned for their oldest daughter to join them in Voldemort's efforts and it wasn't like she had much of a choice. Even their youngest daughter, Deianira was destined to become just like them.

After Deianira was born and Seraphina grew older, her father began to hold his family to higher and higher standards, so much so they were becoming impossible to reach. He began to yell much more. The man spewed nasty names and hurtful phrases to his eldest to keep her in line and it seemed like there was nothing in her power that she could do to please him.

It seemed to be the opposite with her little sister. 

As Moris grew almost resentful towards Seraphina, his appreciation for Deianira grew more. Even her mother, Adonia believed that her younger sister was the golden child, that she could do no wrong. Deianira followed her father's every word and copied his every movement with admiration. 

The eldest daughter believed that the most she could do to please her parents was to follow their plan for her life that they had scripted together after joining the efforts of Lord Voldemort and his army all those years ago.

As Seraphina came to the special age, she was sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to hone her already impressive skills as a young witch. 

Leaving the Lefevre Manor for the beginning of the school year quickly became a highlight for the young girl. She was able to act like herself without being punished for it. She could say whatever clever thing was on her mind without getting reprimanded by her father. She was truly free. 

Yet, her first year was quite terrifying. 

Her parents swore to young Seraphina that if she was sorted into any house besides Slytherin, she would immediately be disowned. 

It wasn't uncommon for prestigious and pureblood families to do things like this as their children enter Hogwarts. They believed it to be the only acceptable house for the amount of rich, pureblood students and little mingling and intermixing with anyone less than a half-blood, for the most part. 

It seemed as if she had sat on that dreaded stool with that dreaded hat for minutes, begging and pleading with it to be sorted into Slytherin. 

= = =

“I cannot be in Gryffindor..." The young girl took a breath, pausing her speech for a few moments. "Or any other house for that matter. I cannot. Please understand that.” She whispered under her breath. Her tiny accent nearly trembled as she spoke. She had been dreading the ceremony ever since she had gotten on the train earlier that day. The conversation that she had with her parents sat on repeat in her head, like a never ending loop.

The first year intertwined her fingers, in hopes of the small motion bringing her some good luck, and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to look at the hundreds of eyes on her. 

The Sorting Hat let out a chuckle, “Oh, what’s so bad about the other houses, Miss Lefevre?”

“Please. Please put me in Slytherin.” She could feel the tears well up in her eyes. Her breath felt shallow and uneven. She tried her best holding back all the emotions but it wasn't working very well as she thought about her parents not allowing her back home. They claimed that Slytherin held the best kinds of people to associate with.

Professor Minerva McGonagall stared at the poor girl with worry and concern planted in the expression on her face, awaiting the Sorting Hat’s decision. She remembered other Slytherins who had to beg like this. It always made her furious that their parents could so carelessly kick them out for something that was so mundane as a school house.

The hat let out a sigh before announcing, “SLYTHERIN!”

Cheers came from the students adorned with black and green uniforms. Seraphina took a shaky breath before making her way over to the benches. The decision came with great relief, knowing that her parents would be satisfied. She passed by two boys with fiery red hair, sat at the Gryffindor table. One of them opened their mouths to say something before she passed by but was stopped by an upperclassmen. 

With a quiet huff, she took a seat on the bench at the Slytherin table. She wiped away the stray tears running down her bronzed cheeks, not bothering to look at the other students surrounding her. A few older wizards and witches welcomed her with sincere smiles and words of encouragement. 

It was truly the least they could do after witnessing the emotions falling from the curly haired girl.

= = =

Eventually, Seraphina began to find herself adapting to life at the school. It was easy to keep focused on friendships, activities, and classes when her father wasn't breathing down her neck and critiquing her every move. In fact, they rarely ever sent letters. She bathed in her newfound freedom and happiness at the school.

It seemed difficult for the young girl to keep friendships her first year, until a certain group of students began attending. 

Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini became the closest thing she had to family at Hogwarts. She took an immense amount of pride in being associated with them and their pureblood statuses. It was one of the rare things her father complimented her on. 

Everything seemed to be going so well until George Weasley came into her life and Seraphina Lefevre knew there was no way out.


	2. The Party

The emerald curtains were pushed aside, allowing sunlight to flood the dormitory of the sleeping girl. Her chestnut colored hair curled, framing her delicate face and covering her white pillow. She was anything but an ugly sleeper. Her lips were gently part, letting out soft breaths of air. Her long fingers grasped the forest colored quilt that was intertwined with her body. She tossed back and forth before her amber eyes soon fluttered awake. 

The first thing she saw was Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini standing over her. The pair looked like they had been waiting for Seraphina to wake up for at least a few minutes. “See! I told you we wouldn’t need to get her up!” Pansy exclaimed. She and Blaise were already dressed in their uniforms which were clean of wrinkles or any other imperfections. After years of being their friend, she learned that they felt inclined to look close to perfect at all times. It was just another pureblood standard that was set by their parents. 

“Why are you here?” The tired girl questioned as she sat up. The back of her hands rubbed against her eyes before finally noticing the third person that had made their way into the shared dorm. Three other girls resided with Seraphina but they were rarely ever around. 

Draco Malfoy rolled his silver colored eyes, standing by the door. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he rested the right side of his body against the wooden frame. “Morning, Lefevre. Nice of you to finally wake up.”

Her mouth dropped ever so slightly and her eyes traveled between her three friends. “Why are you here?” She repeated for a second time, letting out a confused chuckle, “And how long have you been here?”

“You’re joking. Right, Sera?” Blaise asked, his right eyebrow was raised as he looked down at the girl on the bed. Blaise began using the nickname his first year after complaining about how much of a mouthful 'Seraphina' is. 

Then it hit her.

Today was Seraphina’s seventeenth birthday.

And she hated her birthday.

The event did a considerable job reminding her of her family, especially her parents. At the Manor, they never made it a priority to give her a proper birthday as a child. She remembered that her grandmother, Evanthe, would always come bearing a gift. It was something simple when she was little, perhaps a new doll or stuffed teddy bear. As she grew older, she began to bring her books and not just any books, muggle books.

It was their little secret. 

Her father would have killed them both if he found out she was reading books for muggles and most importantly, by muggles. Her grandmother brought Seraphina her now most prized possessions. Copies of The Great Gatsby and Little Women. The pages and covers have become worn and old from the many years of use. After all, it was passed down a substantial amount of years. 

When Seraphina was ten years old, Evanthe Lefevre mysteriously disappeared without a trace. It seemed like she had just gotten up and left her home only to never be seen again. After a few months, the old woman's body was found. Additionally, her granddaughter was just about to start her first year at Hogwarts. She was confused and devastated to say the least. Her grandmother was truly the only one who really cared for her. It felt like she was alone.

Sometimes she still feels alone. 

“See… I told you this was an awful idea.” Draco mumbled, glancing around the dormitory. He tapped his foot, almost unnoticeably against the hard, wooden floor. 

Pansy rolled her eyes and held her hands out for the girl to grab. The curly haired girl was quick to take a hold of her friend's hand. They intertwined their fingers together as Pansy pulled her up and onto her feet. “C’mon, Malfoy. Don’t be such a downer. Everyone deserves to have a good day on their birthday.” She turned her attention toward Seraphina. “Now, get dressed and then we will go to breakfast.” She gave an excited thumbs up before herding Blaise and Draco out of the dorm. 

This girl was going to be the death of her. 

Seraphina was slow to pull on her uniform as she was most days. Her slender fingers wrapped around the waistband of the black skirt as she pulled it over her legs. Reaching down onto her bed, she grabbed the white button up that was worn beneath the charcoal cardigan. She pushed her arms through the sleeves of the white cotton before fastening the buttons upwards towards her neck. Her fingers took ahold of the tie that was draped across the top of her headboard. 

She was never any good at tying these things.

After deciding the knot around her neck was satisfactory, she slid her feet into her shoes while haphazardly throwing on the previously mentioned cardigan. 

Her hand twisted open the old, metal doorknob and slowly creaked open the door to see the Slytherins waiting right outside for her. “Ready?” Pansy asked, shoving her hands into her pockets. The shorter girl rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited for an answer.

The curly haired girl nodded in response. The sunlight coming through the giant windows hit her skin perfectly making Seraphina glow. She was quite a sight to see, even Draco could acknowledge that. 

Quickly, they made their way to the Great Hall. Draco wouldn’t stop talking about how little he has eaten the past day and a half. Seraphina was about ready to hex him. 

Laughter could be heard as they walked through the massive, wooden doors. At the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were all cackling about something. Pansy sneered as she led the group to their seats. 

“They’re so bloody loud all the bloody time.” Draco spat, glancing over his shoulder at the happy group every so often as he slid onto the bench. Everyone did the same.

Pansy nodded in agreement, “They’re obnoxious.”

Nobody expected Blaise or Seraphina to jump in with any kind of insult. They weren't ones to do that, at least publicly. 

Truth be told, the girl sometimes wished that she could be friends with the Gryffindors, even for just a day. Their cheerfulness seemed to be contagious as they went on laughing about whatever strange topic they were most likely babbling about. To her, they always seemed so content, even considering how much the three had been through since their first year at Hogwarts. 

Swiftly interrupting Seraphina's train of thought, her family owl swooped into the Great Hall. The coal and cedar colored bird carried a letter between its beak. A quiet squawk was heard as it dropped the paper onto the table. It was a tan envelope with the red wax seal of their family crest on the front, a sparrow. 

Her friends watched as she peeled open the envelope, revealing a small, white paper. the tall girl was quick to unfold it and began to read aloud. “Dearest daughter, happy seventeenth birthday. You are no longer a child but rather a lady. We all hope to see you soon.” She paused as her eyes scanned the rest of the card. At the very bottom, it read ‘Remember to make your plans accordingly. Soon you will be joining our efforts.’ She decided it best that she keep that to herself for the moment being.

“At least they sent you something.” Pansy sighed, resting her chin on her palm after propping her elbow onto the table. She had been around for almost every one of Seraphina's birthdays at Hogwarts. Her shoulder has been cried on one too many times to count. She assured her every year that her parents, do in fact, care for her. Pansy Parkinson was her rock at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

The brown eyed girl shook her head as the tiniest smile appeared, “I’m pretty sure one of the house elves wrote this… Geraldine always had brilliant handwriting.” One of her only fond memories from the Manor was the house elves. She always snuck them sweets as a kid when they were tending to chores around the house. Thankfully, neither her nor the elves were ever caught. She paused before placing the letter onto the table for all her friends to see. “I know my father wrote that.” Her finger pointed to the text at the bottom. Draco’s eyes widened as he read it. He glanced back and forth between Seraphina and the letter. “I knew it would happen eventually. I guess I was kind of expecting it.” She quietly mumbled. The four teenagers all knew what this meant. Seraphina was of age and ready to be given the dark mark. She was now a lamb to slaughter at this very moment. 

The corners of Pansy's mouth turned into a frown, placing her hand on her friend’s back. “I’m sure it’s not what you think it is.” She shrugged as the tan girl rubbed her back comfortingly. Draco had a blank expression on his face, it was too hard to read. His silvery orbs met her hazel ones. It was like his eyes were pleading with her not to go along with it but he knew she didn’t have a choice. None of them had a choice if they were summoned like this. 

“Um, this was going to be a surprise for you but I figured now might be a good time to bring it up...” Pansy slowly began, breaking the intense silence at the table. “We’re throwing a party for you in the common room tonight. It was supposed to be a surprise party but maybe it'll cheer you up a bit, Sera. And before you say anything negative, know that I worked my ass off to put this together. The least you can do is attend." A small smile appeared on her face as she spoke before patiently awaiting an answer.

Seraphina grimaced, glancing between her friends. “I’m sorry, Pans… But that sounds awful.” Pansy's face fell ever so slightly, making Seraphina begin to ramble. "No, no I'm sorry. You must've worked hard on it and it would be rude of me not to go." 

Blaise let out a laugh and pointed his finger to Pansy. “I told you!” She was never one for parties, especially the ones that Pansy liked. Most of the time some sort of alcohol was smuggled in, Firewhiskey seemed to be a crowd favorite. 

As the two began bickering, the curly haired girl zoned out. Her gaze wandered back over to the Gryffindor table. There were more people on the benches than when they had arrived. Her eyes travel around the table before making eye contact with a particular ginger boy. She believed his name to be George Weasley. They have never spoken with each other, not even at the many quidditch games and practices they see each other at nor during any of the classes they share. It’s just how it was. Their houses undoubtedly had the worst rivalry in all of Hogwarts but that all went out the door when his chestnut eyes met her hazel orbs. 

George gave a small smile. In turn, a faint and scarlet blush swept across her cheeks. His freckled face kept focus on the girl nearly across the Great Hall as she pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

“Really, Seraphina?” Draco scoffed, knocking her out of her trance. “A Weasley? Of all people in this school?” He was the only one of her friends that regularly called her by her full name. She despised it.

“It was nothing, Malfoy. You must be seeing things.” She argued, letting her hands fall into her lap and play with the fabric of her skirt absentmindedly. Draco must have been the only one to see the brief interaction, Pansy and Blaise were enveloped in a conversation about who they think the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will be.

The rest of the day went smoothly for the girl. It was relatively quiet. She was thankful that most of her professors didn’t know it was her birthday. Yet, throughout the whole day, she was dreading Pansy’s party. 

Pansy Parkinson invited so many people that nobody even knew it was a birthday party for Seraphina. She had forced her friend to wear one of her many party dresses that sat in her trunk, just waiting to be used. The green lights set up reflected off the tiny, black sequins of the short dress. She believed the long, puffy sleeves to be a nuisance. Seraphina knew that she would be tugging at and pulling the dress down for the duration of the party. 

The common room was full of Slytherins as well as a select few from the other houses. It was almost overwhelming. The music shook the floor as the students danced on each other to muggle music, much to many of the purebloods’ dismay. 

“Sera! Look like you’re having fun! This is your party!” Pansy shouted over the thumping of the bass. Her dark green dress clung to her figure perfectly. In her hand was a plastic cup filled with something, the taller girl didn’t feel like asking.

She gave a fake smile and an overly enthusiastic thumbs up, somehow fooling her friend into leaving her alone.

She hadn’t even been here long and she was already ready to leave and go to sleep. A few Slytherin boys and, surprisingly, a Hufflepuff boy asked to dance with her. She immediately declined much to their dismay. Who wouldn't want to dance with Slytherin's brand new quidditch captain? 

Without hesitation, she snuck up the stairs to the dormitories. The gentle clinking of her somewhat short heels against the hard ground was covered up by the pounding music and shouting of her fellow peers. Seraphina opened a door to one of the balconies, conveniently placed just near her dorm.

She let out a hiss as the cold, October air touched her skin. It nipped at the uncovered flesh. The dress, although had long sleeves, barely covered to her mid thigh. It did quite an awful job at keeping her warm in any way. “I really should have brought a jacket.” She mumbled to herself. Seraphina peeled off her uncomfortable shoes before resting her elbows on the railing of the balcony with the heels in her hand.

“Here. Take mine. I don’t need it.” A voice came from behind her. She turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy, holding out his black blazer in his hand. His hair was disheveled as well as his clothes, she could guess what he was up to. 

Seraphina took with a small grin, wrapping it around her shoulders. “Thank you.” He nods, resting in the same position as the girl next to him. “Why are you out here? Shouldn’t you be enjoying the party? Normally you're all about this sort of thing."

The platinum haired boy shrugged, glancing over at her. “I got bored. I saw you come up here. There's only so much to do at a party."

“Ah, I see. You were following me?” She teased, admiring the sky above them. The stars twinkled in the cloudless dark that held them. She loved the way the sky looked at night. She was able to point out many of the constellations above her. She could remember a specific time with her grandmother before her passing. Evanthe took her granddaughter out of the Manor for a few hours to stargaze after a particularly rough night.

= = =

"Do you see that one?" Her grandmother asked as her wrinkled finger traced the shape of Orion. "I think this is the easiest to find." She grinned.

The young girl smiled as she stared up at the sky. The tears from moments ago began to dry on her rosy colored cheeks. Her father had accused her of stealing a book from his library, nobody was permitted into the room except him. She refused to ever stealing the book and he got upset. 

"You're pathetic. Your mother and I poured everything we have into raising you into a perfect daughter and this is how you repay us? Being a lying and cheating thief? It is completely unacceptable. You're lucky we haven't thrown you to Knockturn Alley yet. We could leave you there all alone if we really wanted to. It's not an empty threat either, Seraphina."

The book had been misplaced in his study by his own accord.

The old woman brought her hand to the back of Seraphina's head, lovingly smoothing down her hair. "I hope you know that your father cares about you, child. He just doesn't know how to express that."

There was a short silence, she kept her gaze on the stars that shone above them. "Are you sure?"

"I know it for a fact, my dear." A smile appeared on her kind face before turning her attention back towards the sky. "I want you to think of this... Whenever he makes you sad. You can look up at the sky and those little balls of light and think of this." A small smile appeared on the young girl's face before she continued. "I'm not going to be around forever, as much as I would like to, but I want you to keep finding things that make you happy, alright?"

She agreed to it, out of the love she had for her grandmother, but she didn't realize how important that promise would become.

= = =

He let out a prolonged sigh, “We need to talk about it.”

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No idea what you’re on about, Draco."

“I know you know, Seraphina." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I need to know if you’re going to go through with it… You’re seventeen now."

She chewed on the corner of her plump bottom lip. “Do I really have a choice? My parents want this for me and I’m sure the Dark Lord won’t be too pleased if I skip out on this. My mother told me she had already made the arrangements with everyone before I left for the platform."

The younger boy squeezed his eyes shut, nodding. “I know, I know. I just don’t want you to get hurt or for something bad to happen.” It was strangely sincere. Draco Malfoy was never one to freely and openly express his emotions. It was new and different but it was needed at a time like this.

She shrugged, “What can I do? Run away? Tell them no? Either way I’m dead. I might as well do it. Make them proud of me for once.” She shifted her weight onto the balls of her bare feet. The cold stone stung the bottom of her feet the longer she stood.

Draco was silent. He let out a foggy breath before turning to her. “If you’re doing it. I’ll do it. We’re in this together, Lefevre.”

The girl nodded before wrapping her arms around him. He quickly tensed before relaxing in her touch. She knew this was one of the only times he would ever let her hug him but they both knew that they needed it. Seraphina tightened the loose grip of her arms ever around his neck ever so slightly. Draco let out a deep breath once again, moving his arms awkwardly around her waist. They held each other like that for a while before pulling away. Their eyes met. Her face was bitten by the cold, leaving a red tinge to her cheeks. Draco batted his eyes before turning towards the door, his back faced her as he left.

It was decided.


	3. The Amortentia

The party had raged on till the early hours of the morning. After her talk with Draco, Seraphina had wandered back into her dormitory, trying to escape the deafening chatter and flashing lights that created a home for itself in the Slytherin common room. As she entered the dark bedroom, she was pleased to discover that her dormitory was empty compared to the other rooms around her.

Seraphina slowly began to crack her eyes open the next morning. The windows let in pools of sunlight, stretching from the wall, across the bed, and to the floor. The sound of birds could be faintly heard from outside. The rest of the dorm was empty. She expected that her roommates spent the night somewhere else. As she sat up, her brown, curly hair fell into her eyes. 

She didn’t even notice the body lying next to her.

“It’s too bright.” A deep and tired voice complained.

Her body jumped, almost falling off the mattress with a shriek. “Blaise! Why are you in my bed!?” Seraphina questioned, holding the green blanket against her clothed chest as she waited for his response. Her heart was beating out of chest. If she wasn't so confused, she would have been scolding the younger boy by now.

His umber colored eyes slowly opened while he simultaneously began to sit up. “Because my bed was taken. Some fifth years decided to use it to… You know...”

“So, we didn't do anything?” She felt like she was interrogating the poor boy.

“Absolutely nothing. I just needed a place to sleep, Sera.” He rubbed his eyes, his hand shut into a fist. She let out a sigh as she swung her feet over the edge of her bed. It barely fit two people. She had no idea how he managed to get in and sleep comfortably. “I heard you and Malfoy talking last night… Y’know… About-”

Seraphina was quick to cut him off. She slowly stood, letting her feet touch the cold, wooden floor. “Blaise, I don’t know if I want to talk about it right now.” The older girl gave him a weak smile before pulling her uniform from her trunk. “It might not even happen.” She had never been so hopeful that she was right. It seemed like every time she thought about it, a shiver ran through her body. 

“This is serious, Sera. It's You-Know-Who.” He whispered, pausing for a few seconds as he sat up further. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I really care about you.” The boy explained before getting off of the bed in a swift motion. His hands grasped the blanket as he pulled it over her bed, smoothing it out with his palms. Blaise took the time to move her pillows back against the headboard, gently fluffing the feather filled cushions.

Seraphina and Blaise were closer than she and Draco had ever been, even after practically growing up together. He was able to thoroughly understand emotions and he was kind considering his hard and intimidating exterior. On the other hand, Draco was unable to do that. He couldn't even process his own emotions sometimes. 

= = =

"Seraphina!" Draco's tiny voice called from the other side of the garden. His blonde hair peaked out from the hood of his cloak but it soon fell down as he ran towards the nine year old across from him. The older girl's joyful giggles could be heard from feet away as he got closer and closer. He stopped in front of one of the large trees on the property, seeing her legs dangle from one of the branches. 

They had been playing an intense game of hide and seek all day in the cloudy gardens of the Malfoy Manor. Lucius and Moris had 'important business' to speak about, from what the pair had heard with their ears pressed against one of the large doors inside. 

"Come down! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Draco exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest in an irritated manner. He watched as Seraphina swung her legs back and forth, her black Mary Jane shoes hitting the trunk of the large oak tree. Her shadow colored dress rode up to her knees as she scooted forward towards the edge of the stoop she sat on. The young girl had hung her cloak on one of the nearby branches. 

A giddy smile appeared on her face as Draco approached, "Finally! I've been up here for forever." She whined, "I was getting bored."

The silver eyed boy let out a scoff, "C'mon, it's getting cold." He impatiently waited at the bottom of the tree for his friend to jump out. A silent mumble and a huff could be heard from above as Seraphina wiggled down towards the edge, preparing to jump out. The small, black ribbon tied around her neck had become loosened. She didn't bother to fix it. The frill trimmed sleeves of her dress began to ride up her arms. 

With a quick push, she let herself fall from the tall tree. Her petite body landed with a thump against the cold ground. Draco was quick to rush to her as she began to sit up. Her dress had become muddied from the ground and torn from her time in the tree. He glanced up to see that she had left the velvet robe up in the tree. He turned his attention back to his friend as he heard sniffles come from her lips. "Are you alright?" He was noticeably tenser.

She shook her head as her bottom lip became pushed out, trying to stop herself from crying. Seraphina motioned to her skinned knees, blood threatening to spill from the edges of the scratches. Draco was silent as he watched her expression change. The wind picked up, a breeze of cold air brushing against the fresh wounds. 

"What in the world is going on here?" Lucius exclaimed as he and Moris made their way out to the garden. 

"N-Nothing!" Draco stuttered as his father bunched the fabric of his shirt in a fist. "Seraphina got hurt, that's all."

Mr. Lefevre stared down at his daughter with little concern. A piece of black fabric flying in the tree caught his gaze as the wind picked up once again. "I thought I told you not to climb in the trees." He scolded. His daughter winced as her father began his rambling. "Now you're filthy and you left your cloak in the tree."

She slowly began to pick herself up off of the ground, knowing that no one else would help her. As she stood, Moris' face almost visibly turned red. "You stupid, stupid girl. Your dress is torn too? Do you know how much your mother spends on your clothing? And this is how you repay us? By senseless acts of idiocy?" He grew angrier by the second. "You're lucky we are in front of company or this would be much worse for you, Seraphina." 

Tears begin to fall down her cheeks, wiping them with the torn sleeve of the dress. She hated crying in front of people. Her father let out a condescending laugh before grabbing the young girl by her upper arm. His grip was so tight, she swore he would be leaving bruises. Draco cringed as her father began to drag her away towards the Manor.

Lucius eyed the pair as they walked towards his home. "If you ever act like that... Ever cry like a little girl, like little Lefevre does. I am making you a promise that your punishment will be much much worse, Draco. It's a sign of weakness. I know you're not weak."

Those words have been burned in his brain ever since.

= = =

“I know, I know. I’ll have it all figured out soon,” Seraphina held her uniform in her arms. It was hard trying to convince anyone that her parents' plan wouldn't go through, especially Blaise. It was quite obvious that she was lying, straight through her teeth. “I can promise you that.” She paused, giving him a tiny grin. “Now, can you get out of my room so I can get dressed? I don’t want to be late.” 

The tall boy let out a laugh before walking toward the dark, wooden door to the dormitory. “I’ll see you at practice tonight? Captain Lefevre?” He teased the girl with her new title as the Slytherin house quidditch captain. 

She had played on the team since her second year. Marcus Flint held her on a pedestal as one of their star players. He had happily given her the title before leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The favoritism came with a price. Some players on the team weren't so keen on her new position, feeling like she received the title for the wrong reasons.

“Yes, Zabini. I will be at practice tonight.” She teased with a giggle as he shut the door, leaving her dormitory.

Seraphina was quick to pull off her dress she hadn't bothered changing out of last night. She tugged the skirt upwards toward her waist, fastening the small button on the side. As she put on her shirt, she had heard a knock at the door. "One second!" She called as she buttoned the formal, white shirt. Her hand picked up the tie from her nightstand as she walked towards the large doors. 

Before she could open it, Pansy stepped into the room. A smirk sat atop her face as she shut the door behind her. "Don't tell me..." She started, glancing back and forth between Seraphina and the heavy door. "You and Blaise finally did it."

"Did what?" To say the tall girl was confused was an understatement. 

The raven haired girl let out a laugh, "Oh, don't play dumb with me, Lefevre. I know you and Blaise slept together last night... Why else would he be in your dorm?"

Her face turned a shade of pink and her eyes widened, she didn't know how to respond. "Pansy! I can't believe you would say that!"

"It's true..." Her face quickly turned to a bored expression, "Right?"

The blush was stained to her cheeks, "Of course not, Pans. Do you really think I would do something like that? Merlin! Blaise is like a brother to me." Her eyes flickered between Pansy Parkinson and the floor. 

She let out a disappointed sigh as she turned on her heels, back towards the door. "Y'know, I don't know why you haven't dated anyone yet. If I looked like you, I bet I could snag a whole quidditch team." Pansy teased as she opened the door. 

"Oh, shut it." Seraphina groaned as she threw on her cloak, her whole face was flushed at this point as the pair walked into the corridor of the dormitories. 

The two girls passed through the nearly empty common room. Breakfast was about to come to end so they made the decision to go straight to Professor Slughorn's classroom for Potions. She liked to believe she excelled in all of her classes but Potions was one of her favorites, purely for the man alone, even though he wasn't very popular with many of the Slytherin students. He was new to Hogwarts this year, returning from his time in retirement. He was very kind and considerate to all of his students, especially his favorites. She once heard talk of special dinner parties he throws for his favorite students in his class, though she doubted the rumors to be true. 

Pansy and Seraphina walked down the long hallway, full of classrooms and secret closets. The heels of their black dress shoes click against the stone flooring. The hallway was loud and bustling with students trying to find their way around to their classes, everyone must have just finished in the Great Hall. The shorter girl pulled her arm, leading her into the Potions classroom. 

"Ah! Miss Parkinson, Miss Lefevre. How are you today?" A jolly grin appeared on his face. He sat in the front of his room at his desk, a camel toned robe wrapped around his body with a matching cap. It was his usual attire for class. He was pretty old-school. 

“I’m lovely. How are you, Professor?” Seraphina replied as she was led to her table by her friend. The two took a seat in front of a cauldron for each of them. 

Slughorn answered her question with a smile, “Just wonderful.” 

Horace Slughorn could easily admit that Seraphina Lefevre was one of his favorite students. She was incredibly wise for her age and talented at brewing potions to say the least. He believed her to be very kind and fair minded as well, compared to his other Slytherin students. 

The bronzed girl chewed on the corner of her lip as her peers began to enter the quiet classroom. Her gentle fingers flipped through the worn pages of the Potions textbook that sat in front of the pair, bored as the classroom began filling with students. Chatter filled the thick air of the room as class was about to begin. 

“Now, now. Settle down. I know we are all very excited for this lesson today.” The older man began. He adjusted his hat as he moved down the row of tables, eyeing the uninterested expressions on his students’ faces. “Can anyone tell me what Amortentia is?”

It seemed that every girls’ eyes in the room lit up at the mention of the single and enchanting word. Hermione Granger was the first to raise her hand, proudness exuded from her. Slughorn gave a curt nod, motioning for her to answer his question. 

“Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in existence. It can cause powerful infatuation from the drinker.” The curly haired girl stated with a confident grin. 

“Yes! Very good, Miss Granger!” He paused and began walking back to his desk. His hands pulled a black cauldron from behind it. Professor Slughorn placed it on a heavy metal stand before waving the class upward. 

The young witches were quick to approach the oak desk at the front of the room while the wizards begrudgingly followed in suit. He held his hand out, motioning for them to move back from the cauldron. “Remember, like Miss Granger mentioned, this is a very powerful potion and should not be taken lightly… Now, who would like a go?”

Pansy and Seraphina stood in the back of the group of the excited girls, all with smiles on their faces and their hands raised in the air. The Professor hummed for a few seconds before picking the lucky students. “Ah, perhaps Miss Granger for answering the question correctly and…” His eyes scanned the small crowd of students in front of him before coming to a final decision. “Miss Lefevre.”

Her amber colored eyes widened as Slughorn said her name. Her heart raced as she tried to deny the opportunity, “Oh, no thank you, Professor.”

“I insist.”

She felt Pansy’s small hands shove her to the front of the group next to Hermoine. The caramel haired girl began to approach the cauldron, taking a deep breath of the fumes in. “I smell… Parchment, new parchment, lawn cuttings and mint toothpaste.” She was quickly released from her trancelike state as she backed away from the dark pot.

Seraphina huffed before sliding her feet across the floor, towards the cauldron. The fumes were intoxicating. The dark pink liquid swirled around the metal pot in front of her. Her body relaxed, transferring her to a calmed headspace. “Um, I smell sandalwood, cinnamon, and some sort of ash.” 

As she moved back towards the group, her brain began processing. She knew of not one person that smelt like that, though the mixture was heavenly. It was almost like it was created just for her, it was the strangest thing.

Professor Slughorn began talking again but it all sounded muffled to her. She wanted to figure out who this was. She needed to figure out who this was. He sent the students back to their seats and put the cauldron away, making a few of the unlucky girls pout and groan.

“You need to tell me who it smells like.” Pansy insisted in a whisper. Her eyes were filled with curiosity as the two friends traveled back to their shared desk.

“I would tell you if I knew.” She mumbled, resting her chin on her palm, her elbow sat on the desk, as their Professor continued his lecture. It was slowly becoming frustrating, not being able to figure out who this mystery person was.

Thinking about it was going to keep her up for days on end, trying to figure it out.

Seraphina had spent the rest of class daydreaming about who her potential match could be. Perhaps someone in Slytherin… Hopefully it was someone from Slytherin. She couldn’t imagine the chaos of her household if she was to bring a muggleborn or halfblood wizard or witch home to dear mother and father. It made her cringe at the very thought.

These thoughts continued to cloud her mind, even through quidditch practice. 

Laughter could be heard around the field as the Slytherin team held one of their many practices of the season. Recently, they had beat Hufflepuff in their first game of the year. The team was ecstatic that they were already ahead, having a chance to win the cup for their house. 

Seraphina was caught in a daze as her team discussed new plans for the next game. Those three words repeated over and over in her head. It was almost as if the scent was stuck inside her nose. 

Sandalwood, cinnamon, and ash. 

Professor Slughorn was right, it was powerful. She could not stop thinking about it all day until the noise around her finally went silent.

“Sera? Are you listening?” Blaise questioned. His face covered with concern. He knew that she wasn’t normally like this, something had to be wrong. He figured that she seemed fine this morning. The younger boy deemed that something must have happened during the day. 

She is quick to clear her throat. “ Sorry, I'm sorry. What are we talking about?” She could not be more embarrassed. 

“How we’re going to win the new game.” Blaise mentioned, speaking once again. He shifted the weight from his left foot to his right foot as he inspected Seraphina's body language and facial expression. 

The curly haired girl nodded. Her hand gripped the broomstick handle, tightly wrapping her fingers around the wood. “I- Uh, I think we could use our last play. I mean, we won right? I think it was a pretty good one." She mentioned, moving her broomstick between her gentle hands. Matching Slytherin jerseys adorned the team in front of her. 

“That was Hufflepuff, they’re a bunch of wusses. This is Gryffindor, Lefevre. Actual competition, mind you.” Gregory Goyle butted in. She didn’t care for him that much, nor Vincent Crabbe. The pair were one of the handful on the team that protested the girl becoming captain of the team this year. Seraphina believed the two to be Draco’s henchmen, she didn't care for that either. 

“Are you doubting your captain, Goyle? I think I know what’s best for the team.” She countered, putting a defensive expression up. The girl could definitely have an attitude when she wanted to. 

A smile was spotted from Blaise out of the corner of her eye while Draco could look less amused. 

The three had been on the team together since the beginning. Her two friends were ecstatic for her when she was offered the position of team captain. 

= = =

"No... No... You have to take him up on that Sera!" Blaise exclaimed, the excited fifth year held one of the pillows from Seraphina's bed on his lap. "If Marcus Flint offers you captain, then you become captain." Draco sat with an amused grin on his face, watching his friends butt heads over such a mundane problem. 

"I can't do that." The girl argued, moving a piece of curly hair away from her face. "There are people way more deserving than I am."

"That's bullshit." Draco let out a laugh and shook his head. It caught Blaise and the older girl completely off guard. "You deserve it way more than those other blokes trying to bribe Marcus for it. I'm telling you, Seraphina. If you don't accept his dumb, little offer, I know you'll regret it."

Draco had never spoken to her that way. He was strangely... Positive? She took his advice to heart that day and took the position from Marcus Flint with pleasure. 

It is one of the best decisions she has ever made.

= = =

The second boy let out a cackle, “If we lose, it’s your fault.”

“I’ll take my chances, Crabbe.”


	4. The Quidditch Game

Today was the day of the Slytherin and Gryffindor match and Seraphina could not be dreading it more. The girl was so nervous that she could have thrown up as she pulled on her heavy equipment. Her stomach churned at the thought of a potential loss and how all the blame would be placed on her, especially after the previous practice. 

The conversation had been stuck in her head for hours on end. As she tossed and turned at night, trying to get to sleep, she would think about how stupid she sounded. It was unbelievable. The curly haired girl had been too blinded by the lasting effects of the potion, she had been more focused on a scent rather than on her own team winning the match.

“Are you ready?” Blaise's rough yet gentle voice asked from behind the curtain of the locker room. Seraphina quickly laced the strings on the front of the deep green robe that hung on her slim figure. The uniform felt nice against her skin, it was a good change from her uniform for class. 

Seraphina slid open the heavy fabric, giving him a small smile. “As I’ll ever be.” Her shoes padded against the ground as she left the small changing room. Her fingers adjusted the padding on her forearms beneath the sleeves of the robe before taking a hold of her broom. She wrapped her delicate fingers around the handle, holding the broomstick at her side. There was nothing more than the faint sound of the crowd cheering from out on the field before she questioned, “Was I awful at practice yesterday?”

The taller boy let out a small chuckle, “You were fine, Sera. I think everyone was just stressed about winning." His expression soon changed to one of concern as he noticed her pursed lip and the concern planted in her eyes. "I promise, you did nothing wrong. Alright? Like I said, everyone is just a little stressed."

“That’s what I’m worried about-” She took a quick pause to clip her hair away from her face, “I felt off yesterday and if we lose it’ll be all my fault. Even more now that they were all planning on winning” The dark brown haired girl quickly explained and before Blaise could respond, Goyle came into view.

“Will you two hurry up? We have a game to win.” The pair hurried out to the other players dressed in green. The rest of the Slytherin team waited on the sidelines of the field as Gryffindor entered, earning cheers from their student section and friends in other houses. 

Madam Hooch marched into the middle of the field, motioning Seraphina and Harry Potter forward. “I want a good, clean game. You hear me?” The two captains nodded before she lifted the top of the heavy, leather case open.

Harry gave her a tight lipped smile as they mounted their brooms. There had always been an unspoken rivalry between the two houses. Not many Slytherins and Gryffindors enjoyed one another's company. It had always been like that and she never knew why. 

= = =

"She's a mudblood, Seraphina!" Draco exclaimed, the twelve year old crossed his arms as he paced the Slytherin common room. "On top of that, she's a Gryffindor!"

The older girl's eyebrows furrowed as she thought about the words that just left the blonde boy's lips. It was strange watching him walk in circles near the fireplace, just like his father would do, lecturing her about why she can't be friends with Gryffindors. "Well, I think that is a dumb rule."

He let out a condescending laugh, "You're joking right? Imagine if your father found out you were conversing with a mudblood." She went silent for a few seconds, indeed thinking of her parents' reactions. 

"I'm my own person, Draco. I can think for myself. I don't have to listen to what they have to say." She swiftly picked herself up off of the couch, making her way upstairs, towards the girls' dormitories. He watched in disbelief as she left the common room. He couldn't even fathom letting those words fall from his mouth. He could never disobey his parents and misuse their trust like that... Could he?

= = =

The silver haired woman blew her whistle as she released the quaffle, the three bludgers, and the snitch.

The game had begun.

Cheering could be heard from the tall stands as the players whooshed through the air on their broomsticks. Nothing compared to the adrenaline she felt when she got on that broom. The cheers, the wind dancing across her skin, the way her stomach did flips when they won the game, it was all euphoric. 

Immediately, Draco was quick on the snitch as it buzzed around the middle of the field. The golden ball flung itself in nearly every direction possible. His grey eyes followed it with an intense focus Seraphina rarely ever sees from her friend. He zoomed past her on his broomstick, his hand reaching for the sphere before it dove underneath of him and begn to move in the opposite direction. It created a visible look of annoyance on his face. 

It swerved past the Slytherin beaters, who were trying to keep the bludgers away from the rest of the team as they carried out their separate tasks. 

Blaise rushed to the center of the field, trying to get the quaffle away from one of the Gryffindor chasers. He came to an abrupt stop, successfully throwing off the chaser holding the ball. The game became more aggressive and Blaise fought for the quaffle. Finally, with a rough tug, he was able to get the ball into his possession and quickly moved towards the opposite goal post. It wasn’t much of a struggle for him, considering how strong he was compared to the other chaser. Seraphina flew close behind, guarding him from the other players as he went to score. Blaise drew his arm back and with a mighty toss, he earned Slytherin ten points.

Shouts of excitement came from the green and black student section. The tall boy smiled proudly as he circled back on his broomstick. 

The girl looked above her to see Harry and Draco struggling to grab the snitch, nearly knocking each other off of their brooms. The blonde boy held his arm out as the Gryffindor captain managed to duck underneath. Their movements became intertwined in a dance. Their fight was fiery and competitive. Seraphina noticed that the two boys were always like this against each other on the field.

Truth be told, Draco only joined the quidditch team to spite the Chosen One. Yet as he continued to attend the practices, his love for the sport grew. Now, he was getting distracted and disheartened by his parents’ tactics to make him join Voldemort’s army of Death Eaters. It was difficult for Seraphina to watch her friend that she knew and loved become a shell of himself. 

With the quick shout of her name, Seraphina held her arms open to catch the quaffle. The movement had become almost instinctual. The leather ball landed snugly in the bend of her arm. Clapping came from the student section as she whipped her broomstick around, heading straight for the goal. The wind blew through her curly hair as she maneuvered her way across the field. This, this was the feeling that she fell in love with. Her heart pounded as she grew closer but not before she felt a heavy thud against her chest. The girl winced in pain. It felt like she was hit with a cannonball. The amber eyed girl lost control of her broomstick, her fingers slipped and her tight grasp loosened. 

She was about to fall.

Her heart began beating faster than it ever had before. It felt as if her lungs knew what was coming, her breath came to a pause as she tumbled off of her broom and into the cold air. Her hair came loose from the pins and her arm released the quaffle. The ball immediately hit the ground, seconds before she did. She squeezed her eyes shut before she could hit that hard and grassy field. She had taken falls during practice and games but none of them have ever been as intense and painful as this. Her body was left gasping for air as it slammed into the cool ground with a hard thump. 

And just like that, her whole world faded into black. 

Gasps echoed through every section watching the game. The game was immediately stopped. The Slytherin team came rushing down from their brooms and over to the side of their captain. Draco was the first one on the ground next to her. His large hand delicately moved her hair away from her face. His body rested on his knees, beside her body. Her eyes were shut and her breaths were shallow and unsteady.

The Gryffindor team soon were on the field as well, wanting to know if the curly haired girl was alright. There was a small silence before the teams began throwing blame, which soon turned to insults, at each other. The harsh words soon came to a quiet stop as Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore sped onto the field to check on the unconscious girl. Their motions were quick and calm as they pushed their way inside of the group of teenagers surrounding her body.

“Silence.” The dark haired man demanded as he knelt down next to the Slytherin chaser. His hands applied gentle pressure around her arms, legs, and neck to make sure nothing was seriously injured. The students stood around the Professor and the quidditch captain in silence, waiting for the verdict. “She will need to be transferred to Madam Pomfrey’s immediately.”

Draco was the first to swoop in to help lift his friend's limp body. He wrapped his left arm beneath her right one, helping to prop her up as Professor Snape supported her other side. “I can help. Madam Pomfrey’s is a long way out of here.” One of the redheaded Gryffindor beaters announced. Fred Weasley gave a nervous look to his twin as he approached the two men, as if to say ‘are you insane?’

The Slytherin boy let out an offended scoff. “Keep your filthy hands-” 

Before Draco could complete his insult, Snape's cold and harsh interruption. “That would be splendid, Mr. Weasley. Considering the fact that you were the one who hit the bludger in Miss Lefevre’s direction.” 

The shorter boy rolled his eyes as George took the Professor’s place in carrying Seraphina to Madam Pomfrey’s. 

It was a long and painfully awkward walk. The two boys both refused to mumble a single word to each other. For a second, Draco just wanted to apparate her so he didn’t have to deal with the Weasley twin. They somehow managed to get her back inside the school to the hospital wing. 

The school nurse was quick to get the unconscious girl into a spare bed and not long after, the Slytherins began to gather around it. They exchanged worried glances as she felt along her body, looking for any injuries Professor Snape might have missed.

George Weasley had slipped out of the hospital wing just before anyone could arrive. He didn’t feel like being berated and potentially cursed by her angry teammates and friends for what was a complete and utter accident. He wanted to go back and apologize to the poor girl but he decided that he needed to wait.

Madam Pomfrey had administered her a quick healing potion when Seraphina was admitted. Now, it was a waiting game until she woke up.

And it didn’t take long before she did.

Her drowsy eyes fluttered open to reveal her quidditch team around her. Their concerned expressions quickly turned to ones of joy as she sat up. 

“Oh thank Merlin, you’re alright.” Blaise mumbled under his breath. 

Draco gave her an uncharacteristically happy smile, “How’re you feeling?” It was strange.

Her head was pounding. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head before opening the amber colored orbs again. “I’m fine. A little sore but I’m alright.” The two boys eyed her with suspicion. “I swear!” She exclaimed, letting her head fall back into the crinkly pillow. It felt overwhelming, waking up to a group of ten kids surrounding her bed after falling from thirty feet in the air to the ground. 

“Whatever you say…” Draco shrugged. The edges of his lips quickly turned upward before making an announcement. “Slytherin won the game. They ended it right after you got hurt and we were ahead. It was practically a forfeit.”

Seraphina let out a sleepy cackle, “I told you we would win.” She cockily added, looking over the small crowd of faces. Crabbe and Goyle rolled their eyes as the rest of the team quietly cheered, trying not to be too loud.

Madam Pomfrey approached the group with a stern look on her face. “I am politely asking you all to leave. Miss Lefevre needs her rest and you’re being quite distracting.” Her face softened ever so slightly. “You may all come back at a later time but I assure you she will be out by the end of the weekend.”

There were a handful of groans heard from the team as they slowly filed out of the room. Blaise and Draco waved her a quick goodbye, following behind the rest of the Slytherins.

Seraphina was alone, laying across the bed with a small furrow in her brow. Her head was really killing her, it felt like the pain was never ending. She let her eyes close as she squeezed her hands into fists, letting her nails dig into the palm of her hands. Her plump lips released a small whine as she leaned her head farther back into the pillow.

“Sorry to be a bother.” An unfamiliar voice quietly spoke. Her eyes slowly opened and standing in front of her was none other than the youngest Weasley twin, George. His short ginger hair was messy and shaggy. He was still dressed in his red and gold quidditch uniform. A subtle grin appeared on his face as she noticed him walking towards the bed. “I just wanted to come and apologize. It was a total accident. I really mean it.” His voice was sincere and soft, something she wasn't too used to hearing.

The Slytherin girl gave him a gentle smile. “No, it’s alright. I really appreciate it.” She paused and began to slowly sit up until the pounding in her forehead began again, causing her to wince. 

A worried look appeared on George’s face, “You should lay back down. Madam Pomfrey said you had gotten a pretty nasty concussion from hitting the field.”

She sheepishly obliged, resting her head back down. “Thank you…” She kept her eyes on him, watching the way he rested his large hands on the footboard of the bed. She couldn’t but notice how his hands looked, grasping the piece of wood. His buff arms tensed when he shifted his grip from finger to finger.

He let out a laugh, “Why are you thanking me? I just suggested that you lay down.”

She silently cursed at herself before shaking her head. “Not at all, Weasley. George, isn’t it?” She was awful at talking to people sometimes, especially cute boys. 

The red haired beater gave a toothy smile, “Yeah, it is.” His heart almost burst. Not many people could tell him and his brother apart, making it even more special when they could. He wouldn't expect anyone outside of his friends, let alone his house, to know the difference between him and Fred. 

Even a Slytherin of all people.

“And you’re Seraphina Lefevre?”

“I am.” The curly haired girl sighed as her head continued to pound.

A concerned look appeared on George's face, watching the girl's expression. "Are you alright?"

She gave him a small nod, sinking back into her pillow. "Yeah... I'm sorry, my head is killing me."

His lips turned to a tiny grin before shaking his head ever so slightly. “It's okay. Don't apologize, especially to me." He paused, keeping his eyes set on the Slytherin girl. "It was wonderful to formally introduce myself to you.” He took his grip away from the footboard, “I should probably get going, you need to rest… Again, I apologize for almost killing you…”

Seraphina let out a gentle laugh and shook her head. “It’s not your fault, George. I just happened to be in your line of fire.”

“That’s very kind of you but it most definitely was my fault.” He chuckled, watching the girl. Her eyes crinkled whenever she smiled or laughed. The sounds that came from her mouth were damn near angelic. He was mesmerized by the girl that he almost killed. “I should really be going. Don’t want Madam Pomfrey to yell at me.” The corners of his lips quirked up as he began to make his way towards the door. “I’ll see you around, Lefevre.”


	5. The Plan

By the next morning, Seraphina was back to normal. 

= = =

"Dear, are you sure you're feeling alright?" The white haired woman questioned, holding her hand to the young girl's cheek. She felt like she had been in this bed for eternity, like she was never going to be able to leave.

"Absolutely. I feel just fine." Seraphina reassured her with a soft smile and a gentle laugh. "I wouldn't be asking to be discharged if I wasn't."

Madam Pomfrey sighed and shook her head. "I don't know about that Miss Lefevre. I don't want you getting hurt again so soon, especially since you're still fragile from your fall."

"I swear! Potter broke his arm second year and he was out the next day." A faint smile appears on her face, reliving the fond memories of the shenanigans of her third year at Hogwarts. 

She sighed once again before motioning her to get up. The curly haired girl thanks her with a gracious smile. "You're the best."

"Oh, no need to suck up. Go before I change my mind."

= = =

Seraphina made her way through the corridors with her dirtied quidditch uniform in her arms. From her body hung a pair of pajamas that Pansy had been so kind to bring her that night that she was admitted. It felt strange wandering through the hallways to the common room in nothing other than slippers and her striped sleep set. She had tried to tame her hair as best as she could it couldn't be done. She had literally just rolled out of bed. 

Thankfully students weren't in the halls quite yet. Not to say that nobody else was.

Quiet chatter wandered through the stone walls of Hogwarts. The portraits watched the Slytherin girl move across the floor as one of Hogwarts' ghosts floated by her every so often. It was hard to avoid the spirits' glances and the portraits’ judging stares. Not many of them were fans of Slytherins, especially her family in general. Even though the Lefevre’s were quite new to the country compared to other pureblood families, they were well known and feared for that matter. Everyone knew something was wrong and they suspected it for all the right reasons, yet nobody was going to say anything. 

Deianira Lefevre was nothing like her older sister.

The younger girl was almost too well cut out to be a Death Eater. She was like Draco Malfoy on steroids. The twelve year old was the infamous Slytherin terrorizer of her year. To be honest, Seraphina had no clue how she hadn’t been expelled after all of her awful pranks, hexes, jinxes and near curses. It seemed as if her family encouraged her dreadful behavior towards the other and "lesser than" students at Hogwarts. The youngest daughter truly seemed to be the favorite.

The curly haired girl sighed as she walked across the moving stairs towards the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The halls were eerily quiet as nobody had come out of their dorms for breakfast yet. It was nice having the corridors to herself. It gave her much needed time alone to think. Her legs carried her down the staircase towards the entrance of the common room. 

She softly mumbled the password after approaching the large door. The wooden slab slowly swung open, revealing her friends sitting by the fireplace. They still had their pajamas on, laughing about something previously said. Blaise had flung his long body across the entirety of the loveseat while Draco and Pansy had their backs against the armchairs, sitting on the rug. 

The laughter had quickly come to a stop as Seraphina entered the common room.

“Why are you back already?!” Pansy exclaimed as she picked herself up from the ground. She rushed towards her friend in a concerned manner. 

She let out a huff and rolled her eyes, “It really wasn’t that bad of an injury. I got lucky. Madam Pomfrey gave me something to drink and now I feel fine.” She explained, holding her dirty uniform in a messy pile in her arms. Pansy's eyebrow lifted as she examined Seraphina, trying to see if she was lying about her condition in some way. The girl quietly sighed before glancing around at the other Slytherins. “I’m okay! I would really appreciate it if we could all get over this so we can go to breakfast.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at her sudden yet small outburst. The trio all obliged, slowly beginning to stand up to head back to their dormitories.

She was followed up the stairs to the girls’ dorms by Pansy. Their quiet footsteps echoed through the stone walled hallway. "Are you sure you're alright?" The darker skinned girl felt like that was all anyone her said to her anymore.

"Of course I am, Pans." The soft words left her lips. She looked back at her shorter friend with a halfway truthful smile. 

The pair reached the last few steps before opening to the door to her room. As soon as she did, her roommates quickly rushed toward her, all with concerned expressions on their faces. She didn’t know the girls very well but they were nice. 

“We were so worried!”

“Are you feeling okay?"

“That Gryffindor team is rotten.”

Seraphina felt like her head was going to explode.

Just as she was about to say something, Pansy stepped in. It was almost like she could read her mind. “Back off, would you?”

The girls’ expressions turned to ones of annoyance. Pansy wasn’t very kind at times to others outside of her circle. The three made the conscious decision to leave their roommate and her friend alone, going to the common room.

She walked towards her trunk that held her clothes while she stayed at Hogwarts. The amber eyed girl picked up a fresh uniform from the leather case. “You didn’t have to be so rude.” She mumbled as she began to change from her loose pajamas into her black and green uniform. 

“They’re awful, Sera.” The raven haired girl plopped herself onto the mattress. “I don’t know why you care so much… It’s not like you’re friends with them.”

“Still.” She pulled on the charcoal colored cardigan before buttoning it over her torso. The green tie stuck out like a sore thumb over the white, collared shirt. “Can we go now? I feel like I haven’t eaten in years.”

Pansy nodded before pulling herself off of Seraphina’s bed.

The corridors were crowded with other students from each house as the two girls made their way toward the Great Hall. Her friend was quick to grab her slender hand to lead her toward their table. Blaise and Draco were already there, waiting for the pair.

Yet, in that moment, something came over her. 

The Slytherin caught a glance of George Weasley across the hall. He was sat with his twin and their friends. His ginger hair was messily pushed around his head, it looked like he had just rolled out of bed and ran his fingers through it a few times. Small creases appeared around his mouth and his eyes squinted as he smiled. He picked up a berry between his two fingers before throwing it at his twin. 

She felt her fingers slip from Pansy’s tight grip and she began to walk toward the Gryffindor table. Her name could be heard coming from behind her, being called by a confused Pansy.

As she got closer to the table, George spotted her. “Seraphina!” A familiar grin appeared on his face. “Madam Pomfrey already let you out?”

With her arms crossed over her chest, she nodded as she stopped about a foot away from him. The girl subconsciously rocked on her heels very gently. The action was almost unnoticeable. “Yeah, whatever she gave me did wonders.” She could not believe she was acting like this. George was making her feel like a giddy first year with their first crush. Of course, she didn’t have a crush on him. She barely knew him. 

Right?

“Seems like it.” His smile widened as he watched her actions. He noticed that whenever she spoke, she seemed to fidget in some way or another. He focused on her long and slender fingers as she pushed a piece of dark, curly hair behind her ear. The light coming in from the tall windows of the hall hit her freckled skin in just a way that she looked like she was glowing.

Before either of the two realized it, the conversations around them had stopped. All of his siblings and friends stared at the Slytherin with confusion and disbelief. The Weasley twin cleared his throat before introducing the girl to everyone. “Um, this is Seraphina Lefevre."

She glanced around the table, looking for any sort of positive expression. Harry Potter gave her that same tight lipped smile he gave her right before the game the other day. The others weren’t so welcoming.

“Did you need something?” Hermione Granger questioned. Seraphina couldn’t tell if she was being genuine or sarcastic.

The younger Gryffindor was quite beautiful. Her equally as bronzed skin complemented her house colors near perfectly. Her large hair landed somewhere around her midback, resting around her shoulders. The sleeves of her uniform were pulled up as she scribbled down notes for one of her classes. 

The curly haired girl shook her head. “I was just wondering if I could borrow George for a minute? I just need to have a word with him-”

Ron Weasley was quick to cut her off. “Anything you need to say to my brother, you can say in front of us, Lefevre.” He spat, moving his gaze between the older girl and the twin. Both clearly uncomfortable in the harsh environment that had been created. She watched as his eyes squinted ever so slightly, waiting for her response. 

She nodded, absentmindedly playing with the hem of her cardigan sleeves. “Of course.” Her body pivoted to face George. “I just wanted to thank you for coming to visit me last night. It was really kind of you and I don’t think I had gotten the chance to tell you. I really enjoyed our chat.”

His mouth released a small chuckle, “Well, thank you for being such a good sport about me almost killing you with that bludger.” 

Everyone around the pair was suspicious. Again, it wasn’t a common thing for Slytherins and Gryffindors to be close. Especially a pureblood and someone associated with the Harry Potter. 

That’s just the way it went.

“I should get going but again, thank you, George.” She grinned before turning on her heels, back toward her own table. Her heart was pounding and a blush appeared across ehr face. Sure, she wasn't the most likeable person but she didn't expect them to be that rude. 

She was just far enough away from the table to barely hear George's final words to her. “Anytime, Seraphina.”

The girl took her time, walking back to her normal table. She could hear the whispers coming back from the Gryffindors.

“What was that?”

“Do you know who her family is?”

“She must be up to something.”

For the time being, she chose to ignore them. It’s not like she would be around George at all in reality, apart from quidditch. This was a one time thing. She just needed to thank him for being so nice to her in the infirmary. As she got closer to the Slytherin table she could see the disapproving looks on her friends' faces.

“What were you doing over there, Sera?” Blaise questioned, raising his eyebrow as he waited for his friend to answer the question. 

She let out a breath of frustration as she sat on the wooden bench. “Why is everyone so concerned? I was just thanking him for coming to apologize to me after what happened.”

Pansy’s eyeballs nearly popped out of her head. “He came to talk to you?! Alone? When?”

“After everyone else left. He thought that you lot would curse him.” She argued, letting her elbows rest on the edge of the old, wooden table. She stared, uninterested in the plate of food in front of her. 

“Of course we would!” The raven haired girl exclaimed, “He hurt you!”

Seraphina rolled her eyes, “It was an accident. I should know, I was the one who was hit.”

Blaise was quick to jump in. “You know I don’t care about the whole blood status thing as much as those two…” He eyed Pansy and Draco. The blonde had been suspiciously quiet during the conversation, they all believed he would be more vocal about the girl's personal affairs, like he had always been. “But really? Of all people you could have eyes for? A Weasley?”

“I’m just being friendly!” She nearly shouted, crossing her arms over her chest like a toddler. She had grown tired of everyone having something to say about her personal business.

The platinum haired boy interrupted suddenly. He abruptly stood in a sort of distraught manner. “Seraphina. I need to speak with you.” He looked around the table at his friends. “Alone.” His eyes were wide and somewhat distraught. He pulled at the sleeves of his robe as he motioned out to the hallway.

Her brow furrowed as she hesitantly nodded. He was quick to get up and walk into the corridor, aside the Great Hall. The girl looked back at Pansy and Blaise who were equally as confused before following Draco into the corridor.

He stood beneath a light. His hair looked a little more unkempt than normal. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows. Her hazel colored eyes followed his hands as he pulled a folded letter from his back pocket. “It’s from my mother and father.” He began to unfold the pristine sheet of parchment and began to read it. “We have begun to meet at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. This will be the home of the majority of our affairs for the time being. The Lefevre’s and ourselves have decided it would be best for you and Seraphina to attend tomorrow night’s meeting. Others will be there. Dress accordingly and don’t make a fool out of yourselves or your families.”

He refolded the letter, placing it back into his pocket. There was noticeable fright behind his eyes as he shoved his hands into his pockets, waiting quietly for Seraphina to say something, anything.

“W-What does that mean? Why do we have to come?” She questioned, wrapping her arms around her torso in a loose manner. Her throat felt dry as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. A million thoughts ran through her head like a freight train but she was almost too scared to vocalize them, especially in such a public place.

“I don’t know.” He paused, watching her face contort into a look of worry. “I’ll have our brooms ready tomorrow night after curfew. All you have to do is sneak out and come find me at the Astronomy Tower. I promise we will be in and out of that meeting. It’s not going to be anything crazy.” He brushed her hand comfortingly against her arm, “Our parents probably just want to parade us around for their Death Eater friends. I can promise you nothing bad will happen.”

The two had never been asked to attend one of their secret meetings. They both knew what kind of things happened during those meetings and they had no interest. They have never wanted to be Death Eaters like their parents. 

“Do you swear?” Her eyes gazed into his icy gray ones. There was a comfort level for both of them having each other. It’s like most of their lives have been mirror images of the other’s. 

“I swear that everything will be fine. We just have to trust that our parents know what they’re doing.”

“Have they ever, Draco?”


End file.
